A physician and well known apiarist, Edward Bevan (1770-1860) faced a raft of hardships in his youth, including the death of both parents when he was an infant followed, at the age of eight, by the death of his uncle and guardian. Studying medicine in London and, later, Scotland, Bevan achieved a level of financial independence that allowed his to retire by his late 40s, after which he devoted himself to bee culture.

A foundational text for modern beekeeping, Bevanâs The Honey Bee (1827, 2nd edition 1838, American edition 1843) offers a broad overview of apiculture. Attempting to combine âthe profitable with the instructive and amusing,â Bevan provided a readable, yet scholarly look at managing bee hives. The final part of this text is an in depth study of bee anatomy and behavior.